


seeing stars

by helsinkibaby



Category: The Flash (TV 2014)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Different First Meeting, Bank Robbery, Community: comment_fic, F/M, First Meetings, Het, Hostage Situations, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-05-30
Updated: 2015-05-30
Packaged: 2018-04-02 01:52:02
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 875
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4041121
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/helsinkibaby/pseuds/helsinkibaby
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"I've seen this movie. The hero usually ends up riddled with bullets. Or worse, the beautiful young ingenue beside him does."<br/>Or, the AU where Joe and Caitlin meet as hostages in a bank robbery.</p>
            </blockquote>





	seeing stars

**Author's Note:**

> Theme: free for all  
> Prompt: The Flash (2014), any, AU - "We're both in a bank when it gets robbed and now we're part of a hostage group and while we're stuck here what's your name? Are you single?" (source)

"Please don't." 

Joe turned his head slightly to the side, did it slowly so as not to attract the attention of any of the gunmen keeping an eye on the hostages. The speaker - whisperer, really - was the young woman who was sitting beside him, her brown eyes trained on the gunman nearest them. "Excuse me?" He kept his voice as low as hers had been and her lips barely moved when she replied. 

"You've got a look on your face like you're about to do something stupid and I'm asking you to please not." Her fingers flexed on her knees, moving up to play with the hem of her skirt. 

"I'm a cop," Joe told her, hoping to put her fears to rest. "There's a gun in my ankle holster..."

She didn't looked reassured. Instead, her eyes closed as if she was in pain. Her tone was laced with asperity when she whispered, "I've seen this movie. The hero usually ends up riddled with bullets. Or worse, the beautiful young ingenue beside him does." 

Joe lifted an eyebrow. "This isn't the movies."

"I know that," she hissed and looked at him then, eyes as angry as her voice. "Their bullets are real and I can't help you without any medical supplies." 

That took him aback. "You're a-"

She cut him off. "Doctor." Instinctively, Joe knew that she'd had to correct people about her profession a lot. "And I just came here to pay some bills." She shook her head. "I'm signing up for Internet banking the first chance I get." 

Against all odds, Joe grinned, received one back. "If I can take that guy out-" He jutted his chin towards the one nearest them. "There are sharp shooters outside, all they need is a distraction." He inched his hand towards his ankle, began to pull up his pants leg...

And stopped dead when she grabbed his face firmly between her hands, pulled him close and kissed him like her life depended on it. He froze for an instant but then instinct took over - it might have been a while since a woman had kissed him like that but like riding a bike, some things were never forgotten. One of his hands went to her cheek, the other to her waist and he tilted his head just enough to deepen the kiss, brush his tongue across her lips...

And saw stars when someone cuffed him across the back of the head. 

He pulled back abruptly and looked around into the black mask and angry eyes of one of the gunmen. "Knock it off," he growled and before Joe could speak, the woman did, in a voice filled with tears.

"We fought this morning." There were tears in her eyes too, gleaming under the harsh fluorescent lights of the bank. "And if we're going to die, I didn't want..." 

The gunman huffed a sigh and turned on his heel, and the woman gave a very loud, very realistic sob and collapsed against Joe's shoulder. His arms went around her automatically and after a second he heard her whisper, "Did they buy it?" When he looked down at her, she was glancing up at him through her lashes, her cheeks bright red. "I saw him coming up behind you when you were going for your gun. It was the only thing I could think of doing to stop you without making them suspicious." Her cheeks grew even redder and he could practically feel the heat from them. "Sorry." 

Joe chuckled and he meant it. "If it's a choice between getting shot and getting kissed, I know which one I'm going for." 

The woman smiled but her lips were tight and it didn't reach her eyes. "I hope your wife's as understanding."

He blinked, then remembered the ring on his finger, realised what she must think. He shifted slightly, cleared his throat. "She's gone," he said quietly. "Long time ago."

Her lips made a perfect O of surprise. "I'm sorry," she said quietly and he nodded, looking towards the gunmen, then to the door beyond, settling in for a long wait. 

"You know," he said, "you probably saved my life there... and I don't even know your name." 

She hadn't lifted her head from his shoulder and she didn't now, just tilted it up so that she could see him. "Caitlin."

He looked down and into her eyes, felt his heart stutter in his chest. He hadn't felt that in a long time, had even forgotten it was actually possible. "Joe," he said. "I would say it's nice to meet you, but..."

A burst of what were probably slightly hysterical giggles had her pressing her head into his chest and he held her as she shook. The gunman who had hit him shot him an irritated look and Joe glanced down, playing the concerned husband as best he could. 

It was easier than he would have believed. 

When her shoulders stilled, he chanced a look down at her. "At the risk of being forward... If we both make it out of this, how about dinner?" 

" _When_ we make it out of this," she corrected him, with a smile that had him seeing stars all over again, "I'd be delighted."


End file.
